Needed
by The-Fourth-Queen
Summary: Gabriel must comfort a little crying Adrien, and he does so with practiced ease- until his son continues to cry that he still needs his father in his life. But Gabriel is set on that fact that a teenage Adrien doesn't need him anymore. But at the end of it all, what neither knows is what they both need is each other. One-shot, Gabriel-centric


_This one is for my little sister, the child who inspires all my baby Adrien fics..._

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"Where's Mommy?"

Gabriel jumped up at the little voice, he whipped around from his painting to face a tiny shadow in the door. His eyes widened when he saw that small figure rub his eyes, and he blinked slowly as the face registered before he saw it for himself.

"Adrien?" Gabriel whispered, and he stepped forward slowly.

The child raised his head, and Gabriel noticed those gleaming eyes anywhere- so much like his wife. Green and beautiful. And as Gabriel ran his eyes over the little one's face, he noticed how puffy those eyes were.

It didn't matter that the Adrien Gabriel knew was supposed to be fourteen and asleep in his own bed- the man rushed forward to scoop the child into his hands. The baby felt just like Gabriel remembered- too small and too soft.

Adrien sniffed, and wrapped his arms around his father's neck, "Where's Mommy?"

Gabriel gasped, and turned his head so that the boy could rest his head on his shoulder, "Daddy? I can't find Mommy…"

Gabriel's breath hitched in his throat, and he admitted this little fact, "I can't find Mommy either."

And when Gabriel looked pass his son, he noticed that the wall on his office lacked the model pictures of his perfect boy. And it was at that moment, Gabriel believed that he wasn't in the real world. But real world or not, his son needed him. And Gabriel wasn't going to leave until his baby was smiling again…

Little Adrien gasped, and he clutched his father closer. His voice trembled as he spoke, "I'm scared Daddy… I want my Mommy…"

Gabriel sighed, but wrapped his own arms closer around his little son, "Me too Adrien… but we have to be strong."

Adrien pulled back, and Gabriel steadied him by placing his hand on his back, "I try to be strong Daddy…"

Gabriel tilted his head, and watched as Adrien's bottom lip trembled with more tears behind it all, "But I'm still small…"

And Adrien placed his hand on Gabriel's cheek, "I might look big, but I still want my Daddy to be there for me. I need you."

Gabriel frowned deeply, and he looked into those baby eyes, "But I am here for you Adrien,"

Adrien's eyes dripped with new tears, and he bit his bottom lips and whispered, "No you're not. Daddy you're never there for me…"

Gabriel opened his mouth to protest, but Adrien continued to speak in that tone that pulled at Gabriel's heartstrings, "You haven't been there for me in a long time…"

Gabriel shut his mouth, and his little son wiped at his own eyes with the back of his hand, but he continued to break Gabriel's heart, "Oh Daddy- I miss you… Just like Mommy. But I miss you more."

"It hurts," Adrien hiccupped, and Gabriel moved his hand further up Adrien's back, "I want to hug you, but you're missing too. You're never around anymore."

The elder Agreste swallowed the lump in his throat, and in his mind, his voice rang in a rhythm, ' _It's just a dream. It's just a dream._ '

But when Adrien broke down into sobs, and he cried as though the mere thought terrified him, Gabriel instinctively pulled his son to his chest, and cuddled him as though it weren't just a dream. The young boy moaned against his father, and his the sobs racked his little body and Gabriel had to hold a steady hand. He rubbed soothing circles, but Gabriel knew that his mere presence would often calm his son.

A loud knock on the door had Gabriel snapping his neck up and out of his slumber. His glasses were halfway off his face and his mouth felt wet. The man reached up a hand to wipe at his eyes, a grown man shouldn't cry- Gabriel Agreste shouldn't be seen crying. And the designed straightened his back and pulled on his business face.

"Enter," he answered a few seconds after the knock.

But when about five seconds passed, Gabriel knew that it couldn't be the quick Nathalie. She would have at least entered before hesitating to talk. And the Gorilla's knocks would never as soft as those knocks were.

Gabriel frowned, and stood up. Adrien wouldn't knock on the door, all of his needs were taken care of by Nathalie. Adrien didn't come to Gabriel's door and he didn't come willingly into the office since Emilie….

Gabriel strode towards the door, and pulled it open before his thoughts could make him change his mind. The hallway was empty. Gabriel poked his head out, and looked up and down. But there was nothing to be seen. But there was little nagging sensation at the back of Gabriel's head. That something was off. That dream must mean something.

But Gabriel closed back his office door. And he faced the portrait of his wife. The most recent image taken before she disappeared. And as he stepped closer to gaze onto her image, he heard the pitter patter of quick feet scurry past. And they stopped just outside his office door, but then ran away. Gabriel listened all this while, and when he looked back at the picture, he could almost see how her eyes saddened. She usually smiled softly, but now she looked almost as miserable as her dream son.

Gabriel sighed, and for once couldn't look at her in the eye, "I'm sorry Emilie, but there's nothing I can do now."

Gabriel turned away, "He's older now- he doesn't need a father."

 _'_ _You're never around anymore Daddy,_ ' Adrien's baby image flashed into his mind, and Gabriel's eyes widened, ' _I still need you in my life_.'

The man shook his head to get that pitiful image out of his mind. The last thing he needed was to have his son's teary eyes and those pink lips that should never be trembling that way. Gabriel snapped his eyes shut. And he made a full step away from the portrait, and he walked straight into his lair. He needed a distraction. Someone needed to get akumatized tonight. Someone needed to suffer.

And in the early morning, fresh from a nightmare, and still haunted by their families, the remaining Agrestes tended to akumas. One making. One destroying. Both needing to and coping with their loss in terribly different but frighteningly same way.


End file.
